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Why Rajkumar Hirani chose Arshad Warsi for 'Pritam and Pedro'
29 Jun 2026

Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani's upcoming web series, Pritam and Pedro, aims to challenge the perception that actor Arshad Warsi is confined to comedic roles.

In an interview with IANS, Hirani revealed that the series will highlight a different facet of Warsi's acting skills.

He also explained why he chose Warsi for this role and how the project came into being.

Hirani on why he wanted to collaborate with Warsi again
Role selection

Hirani, who has previously worked with Warsi on Munna Bhai MBBS and Lage Raho Munna Bhai, said he always wanted to collaborate with him again.

He said, "The first two films of my life were with Arshad, and after that also, I wanted to work with him, but due to some date [issues] we couldn't do it."

"Then we got a chance here in Pritam and Pedro, and I felt that this was different from what Arshad had done."

'His backstory is very serious'
Character depth

Hirani further said, "This is, of course, lighthearted humor and all, but there is a serious character and his backstory is very serious."

"I will not say that you will see Arshad differently because you have seen Arshad playing a serious role, and the perception is that Arshad only does comedy. You will see that there is comedy and there is a very serious side to him also."

How 'Pritam and Pedro' is different from other cybercrime dramas
Series uniqueness

Hirani also shared his thoughts on how Pritam and Pedro differs from other cybercrime dramas.

He said, "The ones that I have seen are very serious and dark. This is a story of cybercrime, but it has a lot of interesting characters and their backstories."

The series, which premieres on July 3, 2026, is directed by Avinash Arun and also stars Vir Hirani, Vikrant Massey, and Boman Irani.

It will stream on JioHotstar.